EGYPT: Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei says he fears coming 'bloodbath'
Mohamed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate emerging as Egypt's paramount opposition leader, told the Al Jazeera news agency that he feared Wednesday's violent confrontation in Cairo could escalate into a "bloodbath."
"I'm extremely concerned, I mean this is yet another symptom, or another indication, of a criminal regime using criminal acts," ElBaradei, former head of the U.N. nuclear agency, said of the provocative charging of demonstrators by loyalists of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. "My fear is that it will turn into a bloodbath."
ElBaradei said Mubarak's regime "does not want to listen to the people, does not want to understand that they need to go," adding that the president's insistence on staying in office through fall elections only strengthens the resolve of Egyptians that he must resign "immediately, before the country goes down the drain."
ElBaradei on Tuesday called Mubarak's tandem vows to complete his term but not seek reelection a "trick" geared to tamping down his opponents' passions, but one that was unlikely to succeed.
His forecast played out at dusk Wednesday when Mubarak supporters attacked anti-government demonstrators in Cairo's central Tahrir Square, provoking a melee of rock-throwing, firebombing and beatings. The army, which had urged demonstrators to go home after Mubarak's speech late Tuesday, turned water cannon on the protesters to disperse them and extinguish the fires ignited by Molotov cocktails.
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-- Carol J. Williams
Photo: Egyptian Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei addresses the crowd at Tahrir Square in Cairo on Sunday, Jan. 30. Credit: Associated Press
We Egyptians hate Mohamed Bardeie we want him out of our country.......GAME OVERRRRRRRRR BARADEI
Posted by: Dina | February 03, 2011 at 08:18 PM
The anti-Mubarak protesters clearly don't know lessons which every Soviet kid learnt in history classes.
On examples of disastrous Russian Decembrists' revolt of 1825 and the successful Communist revolt of 1917, the Soviet students were taught that, when you attempt to overthrow your government, instead of occupying a useless square where you are just a sitting duck, you need to occupy the sit of power and the means of communication, and do it immediately.
In 1917, the means of communication was the telegraph and post offices as well as telephone exchanges which supplied news to the nation. In 2011, that is television stations and telephone companies through which you can mobilize your supporters while depressing your enemies... Now Mubarak is doing that.
A lot of blood will be spilled because of the protesters' amateur error of burning a few police stations and holding onto the open square, but doing nothing else.
Posted by: Andy V. | February 02, 2011 at 09:30 PM
Egyptian cops arresting people using cell phones, yet another violation of their rights. Add it to the list of govt violations of their right to protest:
They violate the egyptian constitution by placing protesters in cages, banning websites like FUTUREDATABANK and censoring the internet.
Impeach Mubarak and allow democracy to flourish.
Posted by: WallStreet | February 02, 2011 at 12:19 PM
Egyptians are at a cross road, either they'll have to settle for a evolution which means visible part of regime changes but the system stays a same and therefore requires peoples to back off and "trust" the government to correct itself much like Tunisia so far, or a revolution which requires the whole system to change and requires peoples to take over state institutions and ministries by force and purge a upper echelon of government, revolution is bloody if one studies US and French to Russia and Iran revolutions, also revolution take longer to be fine tuned but unlike evolution there is a certainty of making a revolutionary based states among top world powers eventually if they have enough natural resources and keep themselves vigilant against foreign interference, either way more power to Egyptian peoples!
Posted by: Joe | February 02, 2011 at 11:37 AM
"EGYPT : EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION," a must hear podcast that aired on internet radio show "Center Stage," this past Sunday, take a listen.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/centerstage/2011/01/31/egypt--evolution-or-revolution
Posted by: Kheri Hines | February 02, 2011 at 11:35 AM
I will stop reading your newspaper if I have to listen to Lysol commercials while I'm reading articles.
Posted by: Simon | February 02, 2011 at 11:22 AM
El Baradei has been a UN person for years, a college professor and lives in Switzerland, sound like just the guy to know all the problems in Egypt.
More likely he misses being the UN AEC guy and wants to see his name in lights!
Posted by: mac | February 02, 2011 at 11:22 AM
El idiot could have stopped his rhetoric when Mubarak said he would step down. That was not good enough for this idiot. So let there be bloodshed. I hope he gets the first bullet!
Posted by: JC | February 02, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Mubarak must step down and let the Muslim Brotherhood take its rightful place as the leading force in Egypt!
Posted by: Kyle Muchakis | February 02, 2011 at 10:31 AM
I feel that he is right. There will be a blood bath if he does not resign.
Posted by: Gideon Blum | February 02, 2011 at 10:13 AM
Groups with no real leader or no general platform of ideas should beware that almost anyone who gets in front can BECOME the leader and show the direction.
Posted by: mac | February 02, 2011 at 10:10 AM